1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus wherein a light source is modulated in accordance with an image signal, a latent image is formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the latent image is developed with toner by using an electrophotographic process and a toner image is transferred onto a recording sheet such as a transfer paper, and an ink jet recording apparatus wherein ink droplets are discharged onto a recording sheet in accordance with an image signal to form an image. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique that copes with the heating of electric parts such as electric circuits disposed in such an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 4 shows an example of a conventional image forming apparatus, and FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of such image forming apparatus.
In the past, electric parts such as an electric power source and the like used with an image forming apparatus were large-sized and had poor energy efficiency. Thus, the electric parts inevitably generated a large amount of calorific value. Recently, although the electric parts were improved, became small-sized and had relatively high efficiency in comparison with the old electric parts, the electric parts 110 such as an electric power source and motors still generated a considerable calorific value.
As a further improvement in order to radiate the heat generated by the electric part more effectively, the electric part 110 was disposed at an area near an armor having good permeability, such as a position designated by 110 in FIGS. 4 and 5.
Incidentally, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a laser beam printer applied to an electrophotographic process, and the reference numeral 111 denotes a corona discharger for transferring a toner image formed on a photosensitive member 9 onto a transfer sheet 3, and 112 denotes an ejecting opening for ejecting the transfer paper 3 passed through a fixing station.
However, if the electric part must be disposed near the armor, the compactness of the image forming apparatus itself is inevitably limited. Further, since there must be provided a radiating means such as a cooling fan and/or specific radiating (heat discharging) openings formed in the armor, the cost of the apparatus is increased.
Accordingly, it has been required to average the electric part at a position where the heat is effectively radiated, in consideration of the freedom of the installing position for the electric part.